A Night of Rain
by Regas
Summary: Espionage, passion, betrayal and morality: Lines are crossed and questions are asked. War is inevitable, and picking a side to fight for is only the beginning of what is to come. For every cloud there is a silver lining, and for every sunny day there is a night of rain.
1. The Attache in Ame

"_They call this war a cloud over the land. But they made the weather and they stand in the rain […]" _

– _Charles Frazier_

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**Chapter One: The Attaché in Ame**

* * *

An angry rain fell in pelting sheets, beating its torrent song against rusted tin rooftops in the long-short increments that rain often falls in. It moved across rolling hills and grasslands; flattening green meadows of all shades until they lay parallel to the earth beneath.

Tensions were rising higher with each day, from Kiri to Iwa, men and women alike prepared for war. It would only be a matter of time before Konohagakure and its allies declared an attack on enemy nations and vice versa. Outside of one's home, a shinobi dared not wear any indicator of village affiliation for fear of being struck down in cold blood before the battle had a chance to even begin. Only the industrious Amegakure remained neutral, though tucked away tightly in the middle of a war zone. Surely when the first blow landed, from whichever side, Ame would have no choice but to follow the example of the other Hidden Villages and take a side.

It was for that reason that Sakura Haruno found herself in rain country, her mission one diplomatic in nature. Amegakure was a wild card and Konoha had every intention of getting her hands on its allegiance.

Since the fall of Akatsuki's true leader, Madara Uchiha, in a violent and drawn out battle against the Hokage and Kazekage, the organization's respective still-living members dispersed the group. Returning to her home, Konan was procured as the leader of the Hidden Rain Village, and was dutifully deemed by Uzumaki Naruto as the _Amekage, _the Rain Shadow. Though he had been teasing her when he'd given the name, it was a fitting title as well as a fitting position, for she so smoothly and elegantly performed her duties just as, if not better than, the other Kages. Jobs were created in surplus; unemployment dropped drastically and the less-than-shoddy economy began to boom in a way it never had before.

Little was heard in the way of the other three nukenin who had left the cursed Akatsuki. Rumors floated around for a bit that Hoshigaki Kisame was reinstated as a ninja of the Mist, but the Mizukage shot down every single one of them, from an outright declaration to a whisper of the idea, as 'false statements created for the entertainment of lesser minds'. Hidan, formerly of the tourist-populated Yugakure, was rumored to have escaped his earthly confinement with the help of the plant-nin, Zetsu. Nara Shikamaru himself deemed that particular story true after a time. Where the Jashinist and the plant-nin went after that, no one knew.

These thoughts were all fleeting in the mind of the young Konohagakure medic, one with water-tinted rose locks and emerald-like green eyes. She stood underneath the dripping eaves of an old cattle barn located on the outer field of an abandoned farm. The rusty roof groaned as only old barn roofs do, with eerie whispers of metal and grating clicks when the wind would blow. The old cement foundation was crumbling and the walls were termite infested but it provided just enough shelter from the rain that Haruno Sakura could not bring herself to complain.

In the storm grey distance, a streak of yellow light jumped from cloud to the cloud with its spidery extensions mimicking fingers, as though to grab the cumulonimbus. Shortly after, thunder roared, breaking the rain-song to shake everything within earshot. Old boards trembled behind Sakura as the thunder rolled through.

At least, in light of the downpour, she needn't worry about covering her tracks; then again, she wasn't technically in enemy territory. Still, she figured that in the end she was better safe than sorry and took extra caution to make sure she couldn't be followed. Resigning herself to continue on toward Amegakure with a sigh, because at least there she would be dry and warm, the young medic slipped the hood of her cloak up over her head and stepped beneath the stream of water falling from the roof edge to pool in puddles at her feet.

It wasn't long, especially when traveling as a shinobi's pace, before Sakura came upon the outer suburbs of Ame, ones tucked snuggly against the protective iron wall that had been constructed a few years prior. They were hardly suburban, however. The conservative collections of buildings were small little parishes founded and supported by the business of their establishments, like bars and bakeries.

Seeking warmth and a decent hot meal after hours in the rain, Sakura ducked into a small tavern on the outskirt of the parish, one with aged window lights and a faded sign that had most likely read _The Monsoon, _but Sakura couldn't be certain as only M – N – S – O – N remained painted on the drab board. Overhead, as she pushed the door in, a tiny silver bell chimed lightly, letting whoever was running the bar know that someone, she, had entered. Scattered all about the bar were men huddled at worn wooden tables, each one giving her a dirtier look than the last. But she ignored them and easily crossed the length of the floor, the heavy soled boots she wore scuffing noisily. The dry clothes of the other patrons told her that they been tucked away inside for many hours, and that in those hours; all they'd had to pass the time was drink. Drunk and dry; that was a place she'd like to be.

Despite her less than questionable choice in company she couldn't bring herself to care of anything other than the spreading warmth that enveloped her. The tiny shivers wracking her being immediately stopped.

A bartender, dressed in a white turtleneck and red vest, slowly made his way to where she was taking a seat, rag and empty glass in his hands. "What can I get ya', honey?"

She took a glance toward the racks of bottles behind the man with narrowed verdant eyes; she frowned at the poor choices alcohol and settled for a dusty bottle of sake with a point of her finger.

He nodded approvingly and moved to fill a glass for her. With a solid sound it was placed before her. "Anything else, hun?"

"Got any food?" She mused with a tilt of her mouth, slender fingers wrapping tightly around her sake glass before lifting it to her lips. The liquid bit as smooth alcohol often does when it slid down her throat and she made a face, but the warmth filling her belly quickly made her sigh with relief. After hours in the rain, this was what she needed. A couple of glasses and a bed and her entire week would be made.

The man nodded, the bangs of his too-long blond hair falling against his forehead. "Sure do. What do ya' want? Special today is Tomato Bisque served with homemade garlic toast. I can get ya' a menu, if ya'd like that." he threw the old rag over his shoulder and crossed his arms which wrinkled the vest he wore.

Tomato Bisque sounded like heaven in a bowl. "No, the special is fine. It's been a long time since I've had a good soup. How is it, Blondy?"

He laughed at the nickname as he put his hands on his hips. "Best damn soup served from Fire to Wind, honey. My husband, Akira, is one hell of a cook." He said with a handsome smile before disappearing behind a swinging door at the end of the bar.

As the man left to fetch her dinner, Sakura allowed her eyes to really wander about. She had been right about the name, The Monsoon was printed on all of the napkins that were piled so neatly next to an assortment of other eating supplies: a cup full of disposable chopsticks, salt and peppershakers and a monkey dish housing small, square packets of butter. The worse for wear outer appearance of the bar was deceiving. It's innards were fairly nice: clean floors and dishes, the barstools were in decent sitting condition and even though the tables were age worn, it was easy to see that they had been well taken of over many years. What really caught her gaze was the monotonously flashing, old-fashioned Jukebox pressed against a wall where a laminate dance floor was laid out on the opposite side of the tavern. She hadn't seen one in years and it brought a grin to her lips as she turned back to face the colorful rows of bottles, lifting her glass to her mouth against to take another gulp of the biting sake.

Blondy returned moments later, carrying her bowl of steaming bisque on a white plate. He placed it on the bar top in front of her, careful not to spill any of it, and stepped back with his head held high. He was certainly proud. Steam billowed from the red broth and the diagonally sliced toast and Sakura took a moment to breath in the delicious scent.

"It smells wonderful." She breathed.

"I'm glad to hear it. Want a refill?" He smiled and lifted her bottle of sake. She nodded and lifted the spoon from the plate as he filled her cup. She stirred her dinner for a moment, and then ladled a little bit of it before lifting it to her lips.

Blondy hadn't lied, this was the best damn soup she had ever tasted. With a warm hum of approval, she quickly shoveled more into her mouth. The garlic toast followed quickly after, dipped into the red depths of pure bliss. He hadn't been lying; his husband was an insanely talented cook. With The Monsoon being a decent bar with fantastic food, she would have to make a point to come back to this place. In fact, the only thing that could make it better would be…

"Do you rent out rooms?" She asked, reaching out for her drink.

Blondy lifted his head from his bar wipe down and just gave her a pleasant smile. "Well, I live in the upstairs but there are two guest bedrooms that I occasionally let passersby use. Are ya' are in need of a room for the night?" she liked his voice, and his accent. It was very… pleasant, such a light, velvety tenor.

She shrugged and pushed her now empty bowl forward. "I'm headed for Amegakure but I've traveled in the rain for the last couple of days and was really just looking to get a good night's sleep. I would pay you; all I need is a bed. Even a cot in a closet would suit me."

He laughed heartily, pressing a hand to his stomach. "Oh no, no cots in a closet. Ya' are welcome to one of the rooms, free of charge."

"I hate to impose. At least let me pay you." Sakura implored with a soft gaze. "Or buy you a drink."

"I'm fond of rum." He teased, grabbing a tall glass. He set it upon the bar and poured himself a drink from a frosty white bottle. "Thank you…?"

"Sakura." She held out her hand as he lifted his glass.

Blondy took it in his larger one and shook it kindly. "Very pretty, it suits ya'. I'm Ryuusei."

Sakura tried not to make a face at his comment toward her name, everyone always thought that, but inclined her head politely as he announced his own name.

"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance. Also, my compliments to the chef."

Ryuusei just shook his head and smiled to himself, murmuring a brief, "I'll tell him" as picked up her dishes and took them into the kitchen. Sakura looked down into her glass and breathed in deeply. Tomorrow she would head into Amegakure and act as an attaché for relations between Ame and Konoha. It was a good thing she got along so well with Konan and it was an even better that the woman was so in favor of Naruto. Securing Amegakure's alliance would be a figurative walk in the park. With her job so close to being done, Sakura allowed herself to relax a little, hunching over the bar with her hands wrapped around her glass.

A particularly loud clap of thunder vibrated The Monsoon, making a few of the half-sleeping drunkards jump and startle from their seats. Sakura muffled a snicker of amusement by taking another sip of her rice wine.

In the moments following, Blondy came out from behind the bar to shoo away a few of the lurking drinkers and then proceeded to the Jukebox to play a few songs. An older rock song started, it's steady beat and guitar putting Sakura at ease.

She couldn't help giggling like a schoolgirl when Ryuusei began singing along, though terribly off key. _"…Seasons don't fear the reaper, nor do the wind and the sun or the rain…"_

A chill raced up her spine and she tensed as the bell above the door rang. The telltale tingle at the base of her skull told her that this newcomer was a shinobi and one with oceans of chakra. Sakura breathed in deeply and let it out slowly, motioning for Blondy to pour her another glass.

A string of whispered curses left her lips as the figure came to stand at her side, towering like a giant above her seated form. She should have known everything that had happened up until this point was too good to be true. He was probably a goddamned enemy shinobi sent to take her hostage.

The tall man sat down on the stool next to hers and she practically shuddered as he lifted his hands to remove his hood. She kept her eyes forward and hastily downed her beverage.

A clearing of the throat heralded the new man's words to Ryuusei. "Sake, please."

Oh hell no, that was her bottle. She didn't say it aloud, of course, but vehemently yelled it out in her mind. But as she pleaded that the bottle pouring the rice wine into the stranger's glass remain hers, she couldn't help but to slowly make inventory of his voice and match it to a face. Slowly she turned her head to get a glimpse for certainty's purpose.

_Hoshigaki Kisame. _

"Son of a bitch." The words fells from Sakura's mouth before she even had time to register them.

The shark-nin turned his head toward her, one corner of his mouth tilted heavenward with a beguiling grin, revealing a row of sharp and angular teeth. "Kunoichi."

Wide, verdant eyes stared at him with a look somewhere between fear and confusion. Pink brows pulled down as she frowned. "Why are you here?"

"Same reason you are." He muttered as he turned back toward the bar, lifting his glass of sake to his blue lips. He gave her a sidelong glance. "To get out of the rain."

She cursed again, waving her fingers for another round. "Shit. Well, I suppose even _you_ need to dry out sometimes, Sharky."

Sakura had intended the name to be derogatory, but the man sitting next to her simply laughed at her. She didn't like the circumstances, not one bit. Kisame was once a member of Akatsuki, and Akatsuki had been Konoha's enemy. While they were no longer together, she was sure that whatever black operation, cloak-and-dagger things the organization had been involved in was still very much a part of his life. Did that make him an enemy now?

Honestly, as she slowed down her racing brain, she didn't care. She was too worn out from spending her days traveling. If he were here to abduct her for whomever the hell it was he answering to, she would probably go willingly so long as they offered her a bed to sleep in.

As though reading her mind, he spoke. "I'm not here for you, Pinky."

"What are you doing here then? In Ame, I mean." She asked as she swirled the liquid in her cup with an easy rotation of her wrist.

He shrugged, taking another sip; he made a face just as she had. "I'm running odd jobs for the Amekage. Don't worry, I'm friendly this time around." Another toothy grin followed.

She made a noise in her throat. For some reason or another, she believed him. "Glad to hear it."

"Heh. So what are you doing in Amegakure? Shouldn't you be fixing some poor sap in a hospital or something? Aren't you some medical prodigy?"

The gentle growl of his voice was intriguing. Like Ryuusei, she liked listening to Kisame talk. And despite the better half of her, she had to admit that that growl was sexy as well as the pompous grin …those teeth were something else. She shook her head trying to dispel the rapid thoughts growing more and more sexual in nature. What the hell? He was _half shark._ Thoughts like that were inappropriate.

"I'm meeting with Konan tomorrow. Diplomatic bullshit for _you know where_." She replied.

He frowned, and immediately she went on the defensive. Her hackles raised in response to his delayed counter. But all that came was, "Good luck with that."

She rolled her eyes. "Whatever. I didn't stop in here to converse with old enemies about a war that's inevitably going to happen." Tiny fingers danced atop the wooden counter, filed nails clicking lightly. Her shoulders slumped forward. "Drink with me?" She raised her glass as an offering.

With another grin, he tapped his cup against hers. "Why not? To who we used to be…"

"And to who we'll become." She finished before they both tipped their heads back and finished the contents of their glasses.

"Another?" Ryuusei asked as he strolled back down to their end of the bar.

"If you would."

Sakura glanced up at Kisame's profile. Okay, she mused, from a medical stand point he had an attractively broad forehead and a slightly crooked but pleasantly shaped nose and those lips... They were thin but full and kissable. Damn. She blinked and hunched over her sake. She'd had too much to drink, that was why she found him so… handsome. It wasn't because those high and hollow cheekbones were to die for, or because that two-day stubble on his defined jaw was sexy as all fuck, it was because she'd had one to many servings of alcohol.

And she wasn't going to stop now. How did that old song go…? Something about getting prettier at closing time?

"Where's Samehada?" Sakura began; noticing a distinct lack of the sentient sword.

"She's back at my hotel room. I didn't think I'd run into anyone too dangerous here. Obviously, I was right."

"Oh, so funny. Fuck you." She sneered playfully into her cup as she nursed it.

"If you'd like." He countered, lifting a single brow as she sputtered all over herself. He smirked in satisfaction. "You gonna make it?"

Drunk Sakura was starting to think that sounded like a really, really good idea. Big, strong Hoshigaki Kisame could show her a good time. Sober Sakura wasn't so sure and chided herself. "I think I've had enough to drink."

"Why, considering my offer?" he jibed.

She shook her head defensively but casually replied. "I'm on a strictly no fish diet."

"That's alright." He retorted. "I'm not a big fan of pink frosting."

Her mouth dropped slightly at the insult to her appearance. She had to give him that one. "Touché."

As they stared each other down, the song on the Jukebox changed from an upbeat rock ballad to a modern work with a slower, more seductive rhythm. What the hell? she thought, ready to throw caution to the wind. Who knew when the next time she could get drunk with an S-class criminal would be? Who knew if she'd live long enough to ever be drunk again? With war tensions being the way they were, she wouldn't be surprised if everything was beginning to fall apart as they drank. Steeling herself to get at least _something_ out of this, she gave him a pointed look.

"Dance with me."

His strange eyes widened in response. "Seriously?"

"Yeah. I like this song." She put her hand against his shoulder as she turned to step off of her stool, steadying herself against his solid masculine form.

It took him a moment to consider her proposal but as he did he finished off the rest of his glass and stood. A coy yet pleased smile lit her face as he took the hand from his shoulder into his much larger palm and led her past the tables to the small dance floor.

Kisame spun her around in a small semicircle until she faced him and settled his other hand against her hip softly. Tentatively, she reached up to hold his shoulder with the hand not being held by his and looked up at him in disbelief. His body gave off a numbing heat that she felt drawn to, like comforting warmth that the furnace couldn't offer. Gently the beat rocked them and they moved in unison like dancing lovers might. The distance between them however told onlookers that they weren't as close as they appeared.

The shark man led her in small rotations, focusing on her eyes as though he were nervous to look anywhere else. Good thinking on his part, she cackled inwardly. The hand on her hip slowly slid to her back and pulled her more flushly against his person, so close that her nose nearly bumped his chest.

"Never thought I'd be here." She laughed as he drew her out of their tiny circle to turn her in a pretty little loop. He was better at this then she thought he'd be and that made a light blush creep into her cheeks and made the corners of her mouth tilt upward. "I didn't think you could dance."

"Is that because of who I was or because you think I'm some uncivilized human being?" He cocked a brow and it arched pleasantly over his odd eye.

"Those are the same things." She mused as he pulled her back to him, their feet moving slowly against the dance floor. "I didn't think someone like you would have bothered to learn something so trivial."

"I happen to like ballroom dancing. My promenade is excellent and my foxtrot is flawless." There was sincerity in his words that made her chest constrict with guilt for assuming just because he was some badass criminal that he wouldn't have hobbies. Like dancing. Or something.

If only Naruto could see her now. He wouldn't believe his eyes. There was a part of her that didn't believe this was happening. Four years ago, this man was a sworn enemy and she wouldn't have thought twice about killing him on the spot. Killing him hadn't even crossed her mind when he'd come in. She wasn't sure what that said about her and she wasn't sure she wanted to know but what she did know was that she liked this.

The song ended far too soon for Sakura's tastes and as she stepped back to walk away, he kept hold of her hand.

"One more?" He asked quietly, tugging her back to his side. The soft click of the discs changing was the only thing that could be heard in that moment as she made her choice, and as she placed her hand on his chest a distinct drum beat started, followed by the metallic chime of a synthesizer.

Of all the songs, _Hungry Eyes _just had to be the next in line?

"I like this song." Kisame teased as he settled both large hands on her hips with a crooked grin.

So did she, under different circumstances. Almost nervously she slid her hands up over his pectorals and onto his shoulders to rest at the back of his neck, the hairs beneath her fingers were softer than she thought they might be, almost silky. And his skin was whisper smooth. Drunken Sakura wondered what it might feel like beneath her lips while her sober half tried to figure out when the other part had become so sexually curious.

They swayed together, gazing at one another with a sort of inquisitiveness. The situation was utterly surreal. They had once been enemies and could very well end up as such once again if negotiations didn't go well. For now, they were companions keeping each other company.

Sakura found him fascinating. She wanted to know the why and how behind his blue-grey skin, and her fingers literally itched to reach up and see if the gills on his cheeks were real or just for show. Did he have physical anomalies elsewhere? Despite his oddities, they were attractively put together. Maybe in the eyes of another woman he would have been less than attractive but Sakura had always liked a chiseled jaw line and naturally rugged features. And chiseled he was. His muscles bulged beneath her hands when she moved them over his shoulders and his sly smirk made butterflies tickle her stomach. Those teeth were dangerous and oddly alluring. Were they as sharp as they looked?

_And his smell_… He smelled good, of sandalwood and freshwater rivers, like the forests of Fire did after a storm. It was natural and masculine and oh so enthralling.

Her half-lidded green eyes widened when she realised just how close his face was to hers, his nose nearly bumping against hers. _Pull back, Sakura_ she warned herself _Do it before you do something you'll regret_. But she couldn't bring herself to do it. She liked looking at him, studying him.

"Take a picture, it'll last longer."

Her eyes flickered back to his as he smiled knowingly at her and reality settled in once more. She pursed her lips to the side as she pouted. "You'd break my camera, fishcakes."

"I think I preferred Sharky."

"Fishcakes it is."

He rolled his eyes as she tipped her head back and giggled childishly to herself, hands moving over his chest once more. She couldn't help it. The face he made was priceless. Kisame on the other hand didn't seem to think that her little epithet was so humorous.

He pulled her firmly against him and gave her a look that said if she kept laughing at the name that he would have to punish her in someway. It wasn't a malicious threat but certainly one that she feared could pose an issued to her. She couldn't say such an imposing position was uncomfortable; the Mist-nin was warm and muscular. As dangerous as it was to admit, she felt safe within his arms.

"I'm sorry." She apologized, though she struggled to rid herself of the still remaining smirk. "Don't get your fins in a bunch, Sharky."

"…You don't even have a camera."

She stared up at him and shook her head, allowing him to still lead her in their dance. She shrugged, "You've got me."

"I've never had such a short dance partner." He quipped.

"Nor I such a tall one. What are you, six foot?"

"Six four."

So he was over a foot taller than she was. They were probably quite the sight, the jolly blue giant and the candy-land princess wrapped in the other's arms. She must have made a face at her thoughts because Kisame jerked her closer again.

"What was that for?" She mumbled questioningly into his chest.

He shrugged. "You gave me a look."

"I give everybody looks."

He rolled his eyes and led her out into another turn, his large hand encompassing hers. Intrinsically, she placed her hands against his chest when she turned back in and her gaze lifted to meet his. He smiled at her, leading her in small circles still with hands pressed to the center of her back.

Too soon the song ended, changing to something a little more upbeat. As gentlemanly as possible, he guided her back to their seats where Ryuusei had freshly poured drinks waiting for them.

"You two know each other?" The bartender asked, unable to help dancing a little to the catchy tune.

Kisame nodded. "Yeah… We used to work together."

Sakura gave him a look but didn't question it and simply nodded her head in agreement as the blond man jived back to the other end of the bar. She was sure that if anyone from Konoha knew she was kicking back in the small tavern with S-class criminal Hoshigaki Kisame that they would be all over her case in a matter of a few short seconds. With the animosity brewing amongst the shinobi nations, they made quite the out-of-the-ordinary scene. In any other situation, they would be literally at the other's throat with a sharpened kunai or a sentient sword called Samehada.

However, at this moment, they weren't two opposed shinobi. They were a man and a woman enjoying each other's company in a small tavern with good drinks and warm food. They were human.

"Is that blond brat Hokage yet?" Kisame asked conversationally.

Sakura hummed. "Mmhmm, a year and a half ago. That was quite the night."

"Oh?"

"I got hammered. He got hammered. Hell, our whole team drank itself stupid. I don't know if you've ever had the honor of ever seeing Hatake Kakashi dumb-fuck plastered but let me tell you what, that, is the experience of a life-time." She mused with a smile.

He lifted his glass. "I can't say I have but I did get the chance to meet a buzzed Uchiha Itachi once."

"How did that go?"

"Not at all as I had hoped. He was a whiny, pathetic drunk. Somehow I conjured in my head this vision of him being the terrible karaoke, dancing on tables kind of drunk."

She snorted and gave him a sidelong glance. "Funny how things work out sometimes, huh, Kisame?"

"That it is, Sakura."

She smiled musingly at him. "You know, you aren't anything like I thought you would be."

"Oh? What did you think I was going to be like?" He laughed, waving to Ryuusei to come back down when he was done serving the men that had recently entered the Monsoon.

"Truthfully, I thought you were probably a narcissistic asshole with absolutely no table manners and barely housetrained."

"Ah." He grinned. "Assumptions can be deceiving. I assumed similar things about you. The narcissistic bullshit, I mean. Figured you were a real girly girl with pretty painted nails and deep conditioned hair and over powering perfume and that shit."

"Says the man with purple nails…" She grunted noncommittally and pushed her empty glass forward. "Well you know what they say about assuming. To assume makes an ass out of you and me."

He laughed quietly with her. "I like you, Sakura. I really do hope things go well for you tomorrow with Konan."

"You say that like I shouldn't get my hopes up." Sakura murmured flatly, gazing at him questioningly.

Kisame sighed and turned to look at her His blue brows were pulled upward with only slight concern. "You shouldn't. War isn't what it used to be. You never know what's going to happen. As a medic, I would expect you to know that better than most."

Oh, she did. There was nothing she knew better than that little creed. Rarely in a shinobi's life was anything but death ever certain.

"Hey, I've been curious for a long time… when you and Itachi roomed wherever the hell it was you roomed, did you sleep separately or share the bed back to back? Or like when you had to sleep in the forests on cold nights, how did you keep warm without attracting attention. All of you guys… had male partners…"

Without missing a beat he replied straight faced. "Akatsuki always slept _pole to hole_. Like a fucking puzzle."

This time she knocked her glass over, spilling what little was left all over the countertop. She whined in both exasperation and astonishment, coughing violently as she choked on her words. "Y-you _what_?"

Kisame patted her back firmly with his large hand as the other reached out for napkins to clean up the mess they'd made, "You going to be all right, Pinky? It was a joke, relax."

"I don't even know what to say to you."

"How about, 'that was a really good one Kisame. You're so attractive and intelligent. That was such a witty reply.' You know, something along those lines."

She rolled her eyes and shoved his arm away and after a time said, "…that was a pretty good one, I suppose."

He smirked at her then glanced up at Ryuusei. "I want to buy the girl a new drink and myself some dinner."

"Oh, I can't have any more, I'll never get up in the morning." She reasoned, waving her hand at his offer.

"How about a soda, to sober you up?"

"Do you know what that shit does to your insides?" She asked before shrugged. "I'll have a glass, I suppose."

Ryuusei smiled happily and grabbed a new glass from below the bar. Sakura turned back to Kisame, "I recommend today's special. It was really good."

"I'll have that, then." He said to Ryuusei.

When the blonde disappeared into the kitchen, Kisame sighed. "You know the chances of Konan accepting whatever it is you're proposing is slim to none, don't you? She loves that fox kid, Naruto, but Konoha's government isn't the most stable. She will do what she's sees as the best choice for the village."

"What if Konoha is the right choice?" She queried defensively. Of course Konoha was the right choice. Konan and Naruto had similar goals, got along… everything.

He shrugged. "Then that's what Konan will choose. Just don't be surprised when she doesn't is all I'm saying. The instability Fire Country is known for just isn't something she can risk sidling up to while up-bringing a once failing city from it's rock bottom. I know it's not a pleasant thing for you to come to terms with, Sakura, but you must at least realise that not everything happens the way you plan. It's like how one moment, a small meadow can be the Elysian Fields so many desire, and then the next it's a battlefield of the same objective. They're both sought after, but mean two entirely differently things. I'm just trying to give you a heads up that even though Konoha and Ame seek the same things, the methods used may be different. Peace and war."

* * *

"No, please. You're our guest tonight. We don't have many guests, especially now with a war starting. It is just tea."

"Oh…well, in that case, tea sounds nice."

He nodded happily and entered the small kitchenette, busying himself with a water kettle. She took a moment to look around the small apartment. From the couch she could see Ryuusei's bedroom, his door open just enough that she could see the pictures on the wall and the mussed sheets of a bed. They had many pictures lining the living room wall, and others were set up on a long table. She recognized Ryuusei in many of them, accompanied by a man of shorter and slighter stature. His hair was trimmed short and was a shade of brown so red that she nearly mistook it as such, but as she studied the smiling in the frame next to the blond, she could see that it was in fact just an odd shade of brunette.

"That's Akira." Ryuusei said softly, breaking Sakura's concentration. She smiled warmly at him and took the small teacup he offered her. "He should be coming upstairs soon, he was just finishing up in the kitchen."

"You two look very happy." She offered, looking at a different photograph on a side table.

"Well I suppose that's because we are." He laughed. "If ya' don't mind my asking, where are ya' from, Sakura?"

"Oh. I'm from east of here. Fire country."

He gave her a knowing look. "Dear, ya' can tell me. Your secret is safe here. I know ya' are a shinobi– " the door behind her opened " – ah, Akira, there ya' are." He grinned. "There's tea on the stove. Come and sit with us."

Sakura mused that she had been right about his height. Akira was shorter than even she was, but it was easy to tell that he was also much older. Not in the riddled-with-wrinkles way that one often tells age with, but by picking up the so-calm air around him. It was worldly and mature, and very guarded. He almost reminded her of Kakashi in one of his softer moods.

They watched silently as he poured himself a cup of tea. He them moved across the room and sat heavily, with his legs crossed, next to Ryuusei on the loveseat. Akira's heavy-lidded expression bore into her briefly before he took a sip from the small, handle-less cup.

"…She's from Konohagakure." The brunette murmured a moment later.

She stiffened as the minute sensation at the back of her head washed over her fully, causing her to shiver slightly despite her best efforts not to. Verdant eyes looked around cautiously before focusing on Akira and his bored expression. "You're a…"

He nodded slowly. "Mmhmm."

Ryuusei simply smiled. "That's how I knew ya' were, honey. I'm not a ninja, so I generally don't pick up on such things. But he does." He patted his lover's knee. "So, Konoha?"

Sakura blanched but slowly nodded. "Forgive me for not answering you directly. You understand, I'm sure."

"That's where I'm from." Akira started with a tilt of his head.

"Really?"

He nodded and smirked a little. "Yes. I was sent out here on a mission, met Ryuu, and moved out here a few months later. I find this career much more satisfying."

Ryuusei rested his head on Akira's shoulder, despite the height difference. "It's a good thing he can cook or else I wouldn't be able to keep him." He chuckled warmly as Akira swatted at him.

She laughed lightly. "I don't know many shinobi that can cook that well. Had he said something before, I might not have eaten dinner."

"I wouldn't blame you." He agreed wholeheartedly with a full smile. "No one on my team could cook but me."

She shuddered at the thought of Naruto's cooking. At least Sai could manage an edible meal. "The current Hokage is my closest friend. We made up most of team seven under Hatake Kakashi. None of them the can cook to save their lives."

It was a good thing that Naruto and Hinata were getting married and that Kakashi was adept at mooching food from people, usually her. Gai picked up a lot of the slack too, for Kakashi's meals, which she was thankful for.

"Hatake, you said? I worked with him a few times. He's a nice guy. I also worked with his annoying friend… Genma, I think his name was? The one who chews on senbon?"

"Yeah, that's Genma." She took a sip of her tea. "What a mission that must have been. They don't get to work together often."

"It was…peculiar, to say the least." He stood up slowly. "You'll have to excuse me, I can barely keep my eyes open." He handed off his cup to Ryuusei, who smiled to him affectionately. He leaned down and kissed him softly before ruffling his long blond hair and strutting off to the bedroom.

When he was gone, Ryuusei's smile fell. "Your friend downstairs. He was a shinobi, too, right? The big fellow?"

"Mhm."

"He has a lot of chakra, doesn't he? I got this weird headache when he walked in." He admitted with a frown.

"You're very perceptive for a civilian. Most people can't detect chakra, even in mass amounts like that." She grasped her cup in her lap and tucked one foot beneath her as she shifted to find a more comfortable position. "His name's Hoshigaki Kisame."

"I've heard the name. He works directly with the Amekage, I believe… I always expected him to look a bit more…"

"Human?"

"Yeah." He glanced at the floor. "Ya' aren't intoxicated like you should be. Ya' drank quite a bit."

"The average person would probably be unconscious right now. I'm a medic-nin, trained under Tsunade herself. I'm able to burn off alcohol at an exceedingly high rate. I only get to enjoy the abandonment of being drunk for a short period of time."

* * *

A/EN: I've grown fond of this pairing :P Fanart can do wonders. I hope you liked this - chapter two should follow shortly.


	2. The Cerulean Plaza

**Chapter Two: The Cerulean Plaza**

* * *

Sakura rose early in the morning, long before Ryuusei and Akira did, and went about her ritualistic routine of showering, dressing and eating. However, not wanting to wake the two who had so graciously let her stay the night with them, she settled for a squished granola bar nestled at the bottom of her rucksack and ate it as she wrote them a quick note of her appreciation:

_Thank you for allowing me to use your spare bedroom for the night. I appreciate your hospitality greatly and hope to visit again sometime, if not for the wonderful company, for more of that delicious Tomato Bisque. _

_ Best, Sakura_

After she finished both tasks, eating and her letter, she made quick work of the disarrayed bed sheets then placed the note upon it – along with fifty dollars cash, money from her own pocket to show her thanks.

She donned her cloak and backpack and silently opened the dusty window of the guest bedroom and climbed out onto ledge-like trim. Sakura balance precariously on her toes and quietly closed the window before leaping down into the street. A shopkeeper sweeping the water from his front step gave her an incredulous look but she simply smiled and waved at him before hiking her hood up over her head to protect herself from the drizzle and starting her venture toward the iron wall of Amegakure.

As she had showered earlier Sakura had allowed herself to begin planning her approach for Ame's allegiance. Konan was a reasonably good-natured woman, and she got on well with many Konoha shinobi, including Naruto, which Sakura was sure she was going to play in her favor. Perhaps, as she'd wittingly considered wet and naked beneath the stream of the showerhead, she could open with a joke about the weather or a humorous jibe about Naruto's leadership skills and how he was confident he could pull his people through the war. Konan would laugh and play along and from there the topic would shift in Sakura's intended direction, if things went well, and in a short time she would be able produce the alliance contract for the Amekage to sign, the one hidden away safely in her bag.

Begrudgingly though, Kisame's words from the night before swirled to mind. War was unpredictable. She would never be able to actually guarantee Ame's cooperation until Konan's name was on the dotted line. And respectably, Konan would pick the route she felt was best for her people. Konoha had a shaky war history, and it could very well play a role in her decision. It was unsettling for the young medic to think about, and she desperately tried not to, but it was too late. She knew Kisame was a wise man and had made a very good point.

A part of her thought of thanking him for such advice the next time she saw him. Sharky was a nice guy and she hadn't even had the decency to tell him she respected his words of wisdom.

Her thoughts wandered to Naruto next and she thought about how he might react if Ame turned down Konoha's offer of allegiance. She knew in her heart that he would understand such a decision, but she also knew that it would hurt him deeply. All was fair in love and war; or so the saying went.

As the towering wall and its protected skyscraping buildings grew closer, the weather released its angry wrath upon Sakura. Thunder clapped and lighting flashed incessantly all the while the once gentle rainfall beat down on her with renewed fury. At this rate, she mused; she was going to need a boat to actually get into the city. What the hell did they do to drain all the water that filled those walls?

Ten more minutes found her standing before the mighty iron wall, its gate and her guards. She was thankful, for they procured a small waterproof tent that allowed her to step out of the rain for a few moments.

The three guards went through their duties procedurally: one asked her a series of questions and looked over her identification, while the other two went through her rucksack looking for anything potentially hazardous to Amegakure.

"What is your name?" The first guard asked monotonously.

"Haruno Sakura."

"And your village of affiliation?"

"Konohagakure."

"What is your reason for coming to Amegakure?"

"I've come to speak with the Amekage Konan on behalf of the Hokage Uzumaki Naruto. This is a strictly diplomatic meeting."

He shrugged and handed her back her identification papers and mission transcript. "Everything seems to be in order. Akiba, Inoue?"

"She's clean, sir." Satisfied that she carried only a small set of kunai and senbon for personal protection, they cleared her for entrance.

"Very well. I hope you enjoy your stay in Ame, Miss Haruno." Guard One said with a bit more humor. "Please allow Inoue to accompany you to headquarters."

She nodded as the taller of the other two men stepped forward. He was a handsome man, with hollow cheeks and a gently pointed chin. His eyes were nearly lightless, but permanent smile lines nestled at the corners of his mouth told her that he grinned more frequently than one might assume. In fact, her only complaint was the boyish bowl-cut his brown hair was chopped in. Too Gai-like for her tastes.

He held out her bag to her with one arm extended and smiled kindly, revealing a row of slightly stained but straight teeth. "Here are your things, Miss Haruno."

She nodded and slung the pack over her shoulder. "Thank you. By all means, lead the way."

The large gates opened partially with a groan at the push of a button and she and her escort were able to slip into the village.

She stared in uneasiness at the dark high-rise buildings that towered hundreds of stories above her, contrasting sharply against the soft grey of storm clouds above. Konoha had its fair share of tall buildings but these…these were massive. Finding herself slightly dizzy, she returned her gaze to its normal height and glanced around. The street beneath her boots had a few centimeters of standing water, though not as much as she thought there might be. Such an observation told her that they had some system for getting rid of the excessive rain. Probably multiple street drains and sluices, she figured as she trudged forward, obediently following Inoue's guidance.

Water slicked off of his jacket as small rolling beads, but it stayed in his hair, wetting the brown locks to an almost black hue. He would shake his head every so often to relieve his head of the dampness that accumulated. Unfortunately he managed to get her in the face every time he did so, however she refrained from saying anything because he was kind enough to show her the way to Konan's administrative command center in such a downpour when he could be standing dry beneath the small canopy he and his associates had set up at the gate.

"Have you been to Amegakure before?" he asked conversationally after a few moments of silently walking. He led her to a set of metal-grate stairs and up to a catwalk platform that hugged the side of a building. Rain easily fell through the screened sheets of metal, making for a slightly drier walk. Konoha had a few of these catwalks too, for patrolling reasons.

"I've been to the territory, but never inside the village itself. I have, however, met Lady Konan before on multiple occasions."

"She's a wonderful leader, wouldn't you agree?" The heady tone of admiration was unmistakable.

He sounded like Naruto did when speaking of former Kages, especially his father. It made Sakura smile though a tinge of homesickness briefly passed as well. She would be happy to be back in Konoha after this.

Sakura nodded agreeably. "I would."

"I really do hope you enjoy your stay here. Once you look past all the rain, Ame is a wonderful place – watch your step!" He took her by the forearm with his much larger hand and guided her safely up another set of stairs. "Might I recommend Kenji Chi's? They have this delicious cheese stuffed bread."

"I'll take a look into it." Sakura said evenly. Hot, cheese stuffed bread did sound delicious… "Your accent… you aren't originally from here, are you?"

"No ma'am. I was born and raised in Kumogakure, came to visit when I was seventeen and never left."

Odd but she knew that many shinobi at that age were looking for something to believe in. Inoue believed in Konan and Amegakure, and it showed. He went on to tell her about how he left behind his mother, father and two younger brothers. They kept in touch but didn't speak often except through letters and the occasional postcard. Sakura wasn't sure exactly what he said after that for she allowed her eyes and mind to wander over and about the sky-high city.

It certainly was as industrialised as Naruto claimed it to be, with most everything crafted from dark metals and hard plastics created within the large buildings with large pipes emerging from their rooftops, black clouds of billowing smoke emerging constantly, unaffected by the rains. She wondered if somewhere tucked in the iron walls was an established training ground, like back in Konoha. Surely Ame shinobi needed somewhere to practice their techniques without disrupting the daily life of civilians. Or, though she knew it was only a head-canon, maybe they practiced by racing through all the buildings, using chakra to stay parallel to the ground. She almost laughed at the thought.

It took her a while, but soon she realised that it was only those in uniform using the grated catwalks above the washed-out streets. So these were also for patrolling, just as they were in Konoha. She and Inoue would pass by militiamen keeping a watchful eye on the common people walking beneath them, and her escort would say a one word greeting to each of them and offer a bow of his head in respect. They often times returned the gesture before glancing at her suspiciously. She highly doubted it was because of her hair. Their leader had oddly coloured hair and her pale pink hardly compared to such a startling shade of blue.

"Here we are." Inoue said, pulling her from her thoughts.

She gazed up the building in front of a large door that said _Amegakure Headquarters_. She refrained from saying anything to Inoue, but she found it odd that they weren't at the building she'd expected to end up at. This one was smaller, and hidden from view of the gate. Sakura quickly noted it's odd location and compiled a mental list of reasons for its placement as she followed the guard through the door.

The inside of their HQ was very office like. There were a cluster of cubicles to her right, with each individual one sporting some "go get'em" poster, and a boardroom with clear, glass walls to her left. It was… unexpected and made Sakura incline her head slightly to the side.

"This way." Inoue called out as he walked forward. She followed quietly, observing the shinobi working diligently in the little cells.

It was safe to say the Amekage and the Hokage had some differences in work place environment set-ups. If everything in Ame was like this, Sakura could begin to understand the reasons behind so many ninja leaving their former villages for the Rain Village. It was efficient but friendly.

"This is the fifth floor, where most of our architectural planning takes place. Lady Konan works on twelfth floor, so we'll take the elevator up."

Elevator? So Ame was also more technologically advanced than Konoha was. Very few buildings in Konoha had elevators, not that many of them were tall enough to actually need them, but Sakura found herself wishing that Konoha had some of the nicer things in life.

"Do all of your office buildings operate so orderly?" She asked as Inoue pressed his thumb against a button on the wall marked with a small, upward arrow. The silver plated doors wheezed open after a short moment and allowed them a gracious amount of time for them to step onto it.

"We try to make them." He said evenly as he smashed the glowing button marked with a golden twelve. "However we do run into a few complications. Systems crash, sometimes the set-ups aren't convenient for a particular trade, and more often than not, someone always has a problem with something that everyone else likes. I'm sure a similar thing happens in Konohagakure, correct?"

"Probably more often than we'd like to admit." She replied with a brief, strained laugh.

"Yes, well I suppose all offices must experience many occurrences of that ilk." Inoue mused. "So, you're a medic?"

Sakura nodded quickly. Finally something she was really interested in. "Yes, sir. I'm actually the leading field medic in Konoha, as well as the protégé of Lady Tsunade. Are there any medical programs in Amegakure?"

"Not really. I mean, I suppose if someone were to intern at the hospital, they could learn what they needed to. There just isn't much of an interest for it here."

"I bet there is but since the training isn't made readily available no one has expressed any desire." She informed him with a firm tone of authority. "Perhaps I'll bring this up with Konan. I would be more than willing to help establish a good curriculum for your students."

"Hmm. I bet having a medic on our teams would help our survival rates. I hope she accepts that offer." He said.

Sakura smiled meekly and clasped her hands in front of her as the door opened. Inoue led her out into a long hallway painted a deep peacock blue, speckled with glossy black doors. At one end was what looked like an office lounge, as Sakura could see a coffee machine and a tall refrigerator from where she stood, at the other end was a door marked in gold embossing: _OFFICE OF THE AMEKAGE. _

"Lady Konan will have been notified of your arrival by now. She'll be expecting you." He held his arm outward and gestured toward the door. "I'll leave you to it, Miss Haruno. I hope we meet again."

He bowed his head to her, making his hair shift forward awkwardly, and smiled happily as he stepped back onto the elevator. She waited until the doors closed before taking a deep breath and making her way toward Konan's office.

This would be easy. She would definitely seal the deal. This was no biggie – healing her team on the go was hard, not acquiring allegiances from friends. Sakura pep-talked her way to the door and raised her hand to knock but refrained for a few moments and she took deep and steady breaths. The elevator opened behind her but she didn't bother turning to see who it was, she simply focused on the task ahead of her. She could do this.

At least, she thought she could. Kisame's words from last night still haunted her. There was a chance, however miniscule, that Ame would deny the alliance. No. No. She could not afford to think like that. They were on the brink of war. She needed to remain confident.

"You gonna go in, or do I have to step over you, Pinky?"

Sakura turned her head and looked over her shoulder, nearly gasping with shock as she came nose to chest with over six feet of Mist-nin. "Sharky." She peered up at him. "What are you doing here?"

He smirked at her, one corner of his mouth lifting to reveal a row of pointed teeth, and wrapped against the polished wood with a closed fist. "I work here."

The door opened a moment later, Konan standing on the other side. She smiled warmly and tucked a pencil into the bun she wore on top of her head. "Haruno Sakura, I'm glad to see you again… and Kisame, you're back earlier than I expected. Please, both of you come in." She stepped back away from the door and held her arm out.

Sakura nodded obediently and trotted through, followed immediately by Kisame, who loomed over both she and Konan. Konan didn't seem to notice though as she closed the door and stepped around him. "Please, Sakura, take a seat. Can I get you anything before we get started? Coffee or tea?"

Sakura shook her head and held up her hand. "Oh, no, thank you. I'm fine for now." She lowered herself into one of the armed chairs in front of Konan's large desk. Neat piles of manila folders were stacked at the sides and a small golden basket was filled with loose papers. Her things were very neat and orderly, much like the rest of the city. Naruto could take some lessons from the Amekage, she mused.

The woman hummed in response before glancing in the Mist-Nin's direction. "Sit, Kisame."

"Fine." He smiled at Sakura wolfishly as he plopped down heavily in the seat beside her. Samehada made an odd noise and Sakura scooted as far away from it as the chair allowed. Kisame she could handle. That creepy, sentient sword on the other hand was a different story.

Konan smoothed out the length of her pencil skirt before sitting in the large chair opposite Sakura. "I think I know why you're here. Naruto sent a rather vague message, but it was enough to get his point across." She clasped her hands in front of her and leaned forward against the desk. "You've come for our alliance?"

Sakura swallowed softly and nodded assuredly. There went her game plan. "Yes, ma'am." She took a deep breath and opened her backpack, handing forward the contracts and informational scrolls Naruto had sent with her. "On behalf of the Hokage, Uzumaki Naruto, I, Haruno Sakura, would like to extend Konohagakure's offer of allegiance."

Blue eyebrows rose into sharp arches as amber eyes fell upon the papers offered from Sakura. She skimmed them each quickly without saying a word either of them. Sweat trickled down Sakura's neck. She was nervous. Oh, gods, she was nervous. Optimistically, she knew Konan would seriously consider their offer, but realistically, she knew that Konan probably, honestly, would decline. Kisame had made valid points in their discussion last night. Konoha was not the best choice for Amegakure. The opposition was. Sakura was slowly coming to terms with this. Would Naruto be able to, though?

When Konan finally looked up, the warmly sober smile she often wore was back in its place. "Amegakure will consider your proposal. You understand it will take a few days to come to a definitive decision, as I must consult with my council. As my personal guest, I extend to you room and board, free of charge for the length of a week. During your stay here I hope you'll take in what Ame has to offer, as well as present to me whatever information you have regarding such an alliance between our villages. I will then relay to my advisory council what you have informed me of. From there, the decision will be made. Do you understand?"

"Yes, ma'am." She said affirmatively, though her hands trembled.

That didn't sound bad. Perhaps she could sway the vote. She could be a very persuasive speaker. She could do this. Hopefully.

"Very well. Welcome to Amegakure, Sakura."

She smiled. "Thank you. It's nice to finally be in the city."

"I do hope you enjoy your stay." Konan said gently as the shark-nin cleared his throat. "Ah, how rude of me. Allow me to introduce Hoshigaki Kisame."

Kisame smirked once more and nodded at her. "It's a pleasure, Miss Haruno."

"Likewise, Mr. Hoshigaki." Neither let on about their previous encounter and simply settled for simple greetings.

"Similar to myself," Konan began, "He's a reformed member of Akatsuki. He helps me out as often as he can here in the office, as well as running errands for me. Don't let his brashness scare you, he really is a sweetheart."

Sakura raised a brow and grinned at him knowingly. "I'll keep that in mind." He rolled his eyes and grumbled something about damned women under his breath.

"In fact, he's being assigned as your personal escort. He'll see to it you have everything you need and get you wherever it is you'd like to go. Won't you, Kisame?"

He gave her a pointed look but answered civilly. "But of course I will. Where will she be rooming?"

"At the Cerulean Plaza. That way, you'll be close by should she need you. I'll arrange for the imperial suite down the hall from yours to be prepared for her. Pick up the key from the desk when you get there." She smoothed her blue bangs from her eyes and then clasped her hands once more in her lap.

* * *

Sakura could say, without a doubt, that she hadn't expected things to go as they had. She certainly hadn't expected to run into Kisame again during her stay in Amegakure, and she certainly hadn't expected him to be her escort, of all things. It meant one thing for sure, that she and Hoshigaki Kisame would be on friendlier terms than she first anticipated. That wasn't necessarily a bad thing per se; in fact, becoming friends with another ex-criminal could have its perks. Should she ever wish it, he could help her get into the rogue business. Or become an S-class criminal. She nearly laughed at the absurdity of her own thoughts. Gods, she was pathetic. Maybe it was because she'd been sleeping somewhere other than her bed for the last few days.

Enter Kisame, who didn't look very pleased being ordered to lead her around like a dog. "You'll like your suite. It's very large and very homey."

She dipped her head slowly to acknowledge his words. She could hear it in that graveled tenor that he was off put by something. Likely her presence, she mused. She was tempted to ask him why it was that he was upset but she was scared he would use that big-ass sword on her. Or something.

"You were all talk last night. Are you feeling all right, Pinky?" He asked conversationally, yellow irises slanting in her direction to his right.

"Yes. I'm just a little… intimidated. You're upset by me." She replied carefully.

This time he actually turned his entire head to look down at her, his large neck craned slightly forward. "You think I'm upset by you? Sakura, I'm sorry if I gave you that impression. It's not you I'm upset wit. It's Konan." He offered her a brief and toothy grin.

"Why are you upset with her? She seemed perfectly reasonable back there." She thumbed over her shoulder even though they stood in the elevator.

"Let me treat you to lunch after you've settled in." He said abruptly.

She gazed at him with wide green eyes for a moment and pursed her lips thoughtfully. "I suppose that would be agreeable. Though dinner… that would be better than lunch. I'd like to get in a nap before I do anything, but if lunch is better suited to your schedule then that would okay."

"Dinner is fine. Come on," he started as the elevator doors opened with a soft and mechanical sound, "it's a bit of a walk to the Plaza."

She followed obediently as they passed through the first floor lobby, occasionally gawking Samehada as it quivered on his large back against its harness. That thing was freaky as fuck. On the bright side, it had stopped raining for the time being, though the sky was still ashen and overcast. Kisame held the door for her as they left Headquarters, and quietly led her up a set of slick stairs onto the standing grated-platforms, much like the catwalks, that crossed over the streets below. The steps down to a wall-hugging walkway were even worse than the ones up, forcing Sakura to lean on Kisame to descend them. She sighed in exasperation as he chuckled warmly at her clutching grasp.

"You could just have used chakra." He told her after they'd long passed the steps.

"You could have told me that before I clung to you for dear life."

He glanced down at her boots. "You should get waterproof soles, ones that don't slide when they're wet. It's regulation here that all shoes be waterproofed, for obvious reasons. A lot of us use chakra, however, because shoes with soles that don't slide on this metal are more expensive than most can afford."

"I didn't they made waterproof-soled shoes. I might have to get a pair." She said thoughtfully. She did have quite the mission allowance for frivolous things, plus her own money. Who knew when that would come in handy? "And those nifty jackets you all wear?" She asked, touching his sleeve with her fingers. "They stay dry and slick water like I've never seen."

"Also very expensive, and regulation. They were specially designed for this environment, however. Want one of these, too?"

She nodded. "Yeah, kind of."

He smiled and said nothing more, leaving her to her thoughts. Getting Ame regulated gear could really play into her favor. She would have the upper hand back in Konoha when it rained, and on missions to Kiri. She wondered briefly if Kisame missed his village. Probably not, but she didn't want to ask and solidify her assumption.

As soon as it came into sight, Sakura understood why it was called the Cerulean Plaza. They sky-high hotel building was painted a light shade of blue, with accentuating features of navy and silver. It was beautiful, much more so than any of the other drab buildings that rose high around it. It was rounded and oblongly curved, with the only definitive edge being where it ending and the roof began. She was so going to love staying here. Her surprise by its appearance must have been evident on her face because Kisame grinned at her.

"Like it?"

"It's…gorgeous." She managed with her mouth slightly agape. "Are all of Amegakure's hotels like this one?"

"Only the Plaza's. There's also Ruby and Jade."

She would have to make sure she saw those too before she left, especially if they were just as pretty as this one.

Her room, she learned shortly after, was on the ninety-eighth floor, just below the last one. She was so grateful for elevators, because even for a shinobi, climbing ninety-eight flights of stairs was exhausting. As they passed by silver doors, each marked with a blue number, Kisame pointed out his room to her_: 43._

They marched hallway down the hall and stopped in front of a room marked: _20\. _She'd never been in an imperial suite. Hell, she'd only read about them in the mystery novels that Ino kept on the shelf of her studio apartment. Kisame had said it would be large, but how large, she wondered?

He fished out the key they'd gotten from concierge and jimmied it into the lock. The door swung upon, and so did her mouth.

Talk about spacious. The room stretched on for what seemed like forever, with glass walls separating the dining room, kitchen and living room, which even a built-in wall-waterfall on one side parallel to a center-of-the-room fireplace. Everything, she noted was accented with crystal and silver and a dazzling sapphire, from the studded arms of the white leather sofa to the baby grand piano just beside the window looking out over the entirety of the city. She stared in amazement. This was not happening. A place like this was so out of the ordinary she wasn't sure how to react. She was scared that if she even breathed wrong, the brilliance of it would fall to pieces. Oh, how it must feel to live in actual houses here. Her entire apartment alone could be nestled into the kitchen with room to spare. It was no wonder that Inoue left Kumo now, especially if he'd been inside one of these places.

A light pressure at the center of her back ushered her forth. She blinked with surprise and looked over her shoulder at Kisame.

"You've been gaping like an idiot for almost ten minutes. Aren't you going to go in?"

"I don't… I've never… it's massive…" She stuttered.

He nodded with understanding and guided her in, closing the metal door behind him with a soft click. "Come on, I'll show you around." As gentlemanly as possible, he helped her out of her cloak and set her bag by the door and took her by the hand, leading her further inward. "Here," he started as they approached the white and studded couches, "is the living room. Couches are genuine leather, floor is hard maple and that waterfall is continuously recycling rain from the rooftop. The industrialists found a way to incorporate our… lovely weather excesses into their layouts."

She gaped dumbly and nodded appreciatively, "It's so wonderful, all of it."

"You haven't even seen the best part yet."

She found that hard to believe but silently let him lead her by the hand to the kitchen.

"And this lovely place, where you truly belong," he teased, though his sexist joke went unnoticed by the dumbfounded medic, "Is the kitchen. The marble countertops are actually embedded with topaz. Topaz, because it is cheaper than sapphire. As you can see, money is a _real issue_ for us." He pointed opened the large refrigerator for her. "And this is stockpiled with the best wine and chocolates from all over the world, you know, as a bit of a welcoming gift. Come along, there's more to see."

She didn't bother saying anything this time. Simply observed excitedly with her eyes. And ears. Konohagakure really needed to step up its hospitality game. This place was as close to heaven as anyone could ever get without dying. She made a mental promise to herself that if there were a gorgeous, tanned and muscular man laying in wait naked on her bed, she would stay in Amegakure forever. She would willingly defect for this life. Sakura could see the headlines of the news now: Hokage's Closest Comrade Defects to Amegakure for a Life of Luxury, Wine and Chocolate.

"Dining room." He grunted as they passed one of the frosted glass walls, "Table is mahogany, and the chandelier is authentic crystal with a healthy spattering of princess cut sapphires."

"Why so many gemstones?" She queried as she looked over the chandelier eagerly. It, she concluded, was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen in her life. The crystal sparkled under the warm ambiance of the courtesy lights; a thin silver thread suspended each dangling piece so that its completed look resembled that of a wood and paper Chinese lantern.

He shrugged, "Konan believes that the aesthetics of a 'home environment' have one of the greatest impacts on mood. She doesn't want people visiting into the city having a miserable time because they were given a shitty hotel room. And I'm pretty sure she just likes pretty things."

"This is surreal. I don't even know what to say… I would never be able to afford any of this." Sakura admitted as she ran her fingers along the glossed tabletop. "Do you pay for your room?"

"No. I move around so often that it would idiotic of me to rent a place. Konan lets me live here when I'm in the city. It's a pretty good deal on my end, don't you think?" He crossed his arms over his chest as he watched her cautiously explore everything.

"Of course. Is yours like this?"

"An imperial suite, you mean? Yes. However, such a large place is much more suited to my size. You might get lost, Pinky."

"That would be okay." She said with a smile as she glanced her over shoulder at him. One corner of his mouth tilted upward for her as he uncrossed his arms and took her tiny hand in his large again.

He led her through a door on the other side of the room into the master bedroom. Her jaw fell again.

"Holy shit." There was no gorgeous, hunky man waiting naked for her, but this bed didn't need one.

"I told you the best was yet to come." He muttered and released her hand. "But this still isn't it."

She shuffled slowly across the expanse of the room and stopped at the foot at the bed. She reached out in front of her, fingertips lightly dancing across the downy material of the duvet. This bed was… She shook her head in disbelief. Extra-extra-king-sized? Was that even a thing? "I am so putting this in my mission report, I've got to have one of these. Are they all this big?"

"More or less. Close your mouth, you're drooling." He snickered from behind.

She gave him the finger over her shoulder then launched herself into the center of the bed. She moaned as loudly as possible. "So soft. I'm never leaving. Ever."

He made a soft noise in his throat that made her look up before padding lightly toward her. "Here," he held out his hand, "there's still one more thing you need to see."

She took his hand and allowed him to help her out of the bed. He led her through another door just to the right, and Sakura had to commend herself for not squealing with glee.

"The master bathroom." He said simply.

"Is that a hot tub or a bath tub?"

He smirked. "It's whichever one you want it to be. There are thirty multi-pressure jets and like seven or eight light settings, not to mention a television behind that wall mirror, which slides back…" he picked up a small black remote from a little glossy black basket by the sink and hit a button. With a light metallic whir, the mirror slid left, hiding behind the wall to reveal a hefty flat-screen television.

"I guess Amegakure's economy really did pick up after she took over."

"Mhm." He paused. "Well, I'll let you get some sleep. How does seven o'clock, sound?"

"I'll be ready." She assured him. "Should I wear anything… special?"

He shrugged. "Whatever you have will be fine. I'll leave you to it." He ducked back out through the bedroom, leaving her standing, still grinning like an idiot at the finer things in life. She was always told that money couldn't by you happiness, but she was willing to bed that it could get her pretty damn close.

She went back out through the dining room to pick up her things. She slung her pack over her shoulder and hung her cloak on a peg beside the door, then marched purposefully back to the bathroom. She would bathe in the glorious tub first, and then sleep.

* * *

Sakura stirred groggily a little before six-thirty. Having left the door open, she could hear the rain pound relentlessly against the glass wall by the piano that looked out over the city. The sound of cracking thunder dragged her from the comfort of the bed. She dressed slowly, methodically pulling a pair of slacks on one leg at a time; right then left, and pulled a clean white t-shirt on over her head. She brushed through her hair and slipped into her boots with fifteen minutes to spare.

Curiously, she decided to explore by herself. In the kitchen, she poured herself a glass of red wine and slowly sipped at it as she meandered to the living room to investigate the waterfall wall. Despite it's constantly running, it remained fairly quiet and hardly splashed the floor at all. She liked that, she decided as she reached out to touch the steady sheet. It was crisp and cold to the touch. Thoroughly entertained, she ran her fingers along the entire length of the wall, cutting a straight path that was quickly fixed by the continuous downfall. It reminded her of Naruto's chakra-nature training, when he'd needed to cut the waterfall created by Yamato in half. She smiled nostalgically, and moved on to the piano.

The ivory keys smiled up at her temptingly. Setting her glass the gently on the floor, Sakura took a seat and grazed the blacks and whites with gentle fingers. She couldn't play, she'd never learned, but she liked listening to the softness of the high notes, and the heady thrum of the low ones as she pressed them.

A heavy knock at her door managed to draw her attention away from the piano. She stood up and picked up her now empty glass and walked across the room, boots tapping lightly. She opened the door and Kisame smiled down at her. "Ready, Pinky?"

"It's seven already?" She glanced around for a clock and found an electric one high on the wall in the living room. "I lost track of time. Let me just put this in the sink." She said, scurrying for the kitchen.

Kisame stepped in through the door, wearing a pair of dark jeans and the water-slicking jacket that all shinobi in Ame had. She looked curiously at the coat tucked under his arm.

"What's that?"

"This is for you to wear. It's a fair distance to where we're going and this will keep you much drier than your cloak can." He held it out for her and she slipped into it with ease.

It was large, obviously his, but she was grateful, because he was right. Her cloak was still dripping water onto the floor. "Thank you, Kisame."

He nodded and held the door open for her. "But of course. Was that you playing?"

She flushed and turned her head away. "I was experimenting, I didn't realise anyone could hear me. I don't know how to play."

"Civilians couldn't hear you. The rooms are soundproofed."

She vaguely wondered if there was a 'thank god' left off of his sentence. "But you could hear it."

"That's because I have hyper-enhanced senses of hearing and smell."

"Ah. So, where are we going?" She wondered aloud as she zipped up the front of the jacket. The warm fleece inside tickled her arms as they moved.

He smiled at her. "Just this small place on the other side of town. They've got great cheese stuffed bread."

* * *

A/EN: Chapter 3 should be up in a few weeks. It's completed, and work has started on 4, but I'd like to go through and revise it before I post it here.


	3. The Best Policy

**Chapter Three: The Best Policy**

* * *

The small place with delicious cheese stuffed bread was Kenji Chi's, a place suggested to her by her prior escort. It was little more than a hole-in-the-wall, one hidden away in the basement of an old warehouse on the side of town opposite her hotel. The muted yellow lighting was poor but romantic and did little in the way of brightening the small eatery, however the hosts were warm and inviting, and smiled broadly as they came through the rusty metal door. The soft classical music that played from a speaker in the corner was tranquil. Like a small brook babbling in the woods. She imagined Kenji Chi's restaurant like a secret hide, one where a specific knock or a quirky password were needed to gain access because it was so exclusive.

Did have Konoha have any hidden gems like this, she wondered? Some ruggedly classy diamond in the rough? She would have to make it a point to find out. There were plenty of empty warehouses to go through.

"You know, the guy that led me to HQ said something about this place." She whispered quietly as a thin and gawky man sat them down at a small both in the back corner. It took only a moment for Sakura to realise that they sat this way because it allowed Kisame a view of the entire café. She craned her head over her shoulder, and bent her torso over the table. Bathroom doors, the entrance, kitchen and emergency exit.

"Oh? You mean Inoue?" he asked idly, spreading a napkin out over his lap. How… unexpectedly refined.

"Yeah, that one."

He nodded and grinned, his fine pointed teeth glinting from the dim light hanging just above their table. "I thought so. Not many people know about this place, and Kenji's daughter, Kameko, is Inoue's fiancée. Leave it to him to promote the family business."

She shrugged. "Don't rag on him for that, this place is pretty cool… however, I won't complain should you say something about his appearance. I don't know what was with his haircut. It was hideously Maito Gai like."

Kisame seemed to lighten up a little more at this comment. "Glad to know I'm not the only one who thinks it looks utterly ridiculous."

She offered him a curt smile then focused on the menu sitting in front of her. "How's the pan-seared catfish?"

"It's pretty good. I prefer the seafood platter, my self. I like a little bit of everything on my plate." He waved to the gawky man in the next moment. "I'd like a bottle of your best sake and the seafood platter. As usual."

The man quickly scrawled Kisame's order down on a little white notepad. "And for the lady?" He asked perkily, turning his entirety to face Sakura.

"I'll have the same, thank you." She replied after a moment, deciding that Kisame's choice was the wiser one (and disbelievingly, the much cheaper of the two).

"And for your appetizer?"

Kisame grinned knowingly and winked at Sakura, "Kenji's bread rolls."

The gawky man nodded. "It'll be out just as soon as it's done."

Sakura waited until the man was out of earshot before speaking to Kisame again, this time in a low, whispery tone. "So, what did you bring me here to tell me?"

His smile fell and his gaze dropped as he leaned closer to her from across the table. "I just want to be honest with you, Sakura. Konan is leading you on. She isn't going to accept…"

"You said something like that last night."

"I mean, that she's already decided to deny your offer. She's letting you think she's considering it because you are friends, and because she's friends with your Hokage." He told her, his voice thick with seriousness. "She's just being nice to you. You're technically an enemy of Amegakure."

She blinked at him a few times with narrowed green eyes before scowling and sitting back. "I don't believe you."

"Believe me or not, I'm always honest. Do not come crying to me when you're surprised that she didn't accepted." He growled, sitting back as well. The booth's cheap plastic-covered cushion whined beneath the shifting of his heavy weight. "I hope you aren't so ignorant as to ignore the truth. I'm telling you this for your own good, Sakura."

"Why would she lead me on like that, then? How do you know she hasn't accepted, or that she's not going to?" She laced her fingers together and placed her clasped hands on her lap. This was ridiculous. He was lying. Of course he was lying, he used to be part of Akatsuki, for fuck's sake. She was ignorant to trust him.

But she swallowed hard when her brain swirled about the truth, that Konan, too, was once a part of that damned organization.

"She's my closest friend, and I hers. We spoke last night, via jutsu. She knew you were coming, and…" He sighed heavily as though the weight of the world had collapsed onto his shoulders. "I'm sorry. I probably shouldn't have mentioned any of this…"

"…No." She muttered reluctantly. "No, I'm glad you did. I'm grateful you did. Thank you, for being so honest with me, Kisame." She swallowed thickly once again... "You're a pretty up-standing guy, you know, considering."

"Considering what? That I was part of Akatsuki?"

"Yes and… and I've read about some of the things you've done… not that I'm saying…" She stopped, not wanting to put her foot any further into her mouth and down her throat than she already had. "I didn't mean it like that."

He watched her for a few tense, quiet moments and his gaze soon softened with understanding. "When I joined Akatsuki, it wasn't for world domination, or anything like what tabloids and people claimed it to be. At first, Akatsuki was… it was working for a greater good. In fact, I guess, when Madara revealed himself, it still was, just in a very sick and twisted way. I joined because I couldn't stand the fraudulence that my village was founded around. I killed my entire team to save a whole nation of people, Sakura. Not because I was some blood-thirsty psychopath, and they still criminalized me."

He paused his story as the awkward waiter placed a small basket of bread rolls in the middle of the table along side a bottle of well-aged sake. "Your drinks are on the house, compliments of Master Chi. Enjoy."

"Tell Kenji I say thank you, Ren." Kisame said politely with a curt nod of his head.

"Of course." The waiter, Ren, quickly made his way back to the kitchen.

Sakura picked up one of the steaming rolls and examined the crisp golden-brown crust with interest. She gently tore a small piece off and inspected the melted cheese in the center before taking a deep whiff of it. "These smell really good."

"They taste even better." Kisame muttered, mouth full. He plucked out a second one, "Go on; try it."

She took an experimental bite, chewed and swallowed. "I could make a meal out of these alone."

He nodded. "Tell me about it." He frowned and shifted forward again. "Back to our prior discussion… Sometimes, Sakura, the path to peace is also the path of destruction. We had to do some bad things to work towards being good and making the world peaceful again. Even then, it wasn't enough. War is brewing once more."

She wanted so badly to believe him. Admittedly, a part of her did. She believed that he was being very honest with her, and it worried her. If what he was saying was true, they were technically enemies. He could… do a number of things to try and buy her trust. But there was a genuine vibe she just could not shake.

"But some of you did unspeakable things. Hidan and Ka-Ka- oh, whatever his name was, they orphaned a little girl and widowed her mother. They killed Sarutobi Asuma without a second thought. Tell me, did they need to do that to achieve this peaceful goal you say Akatsuki was trying to reach?"

"Hidan and Kakuzu were special cases. Kakuzu was only in it for the money, and Hidan… well, sometimes, Hidan _had_ to kill people. Those sacrifices he made in the name of his fucked up religion were what kept him alive. I remember once he went a few weeks without killing anyone, and he got sick. So sick I started to think he might die. It wasn't a pleasant thing to play witness to. His immortality, when trying to extract itself from his body, causes him run a temperature, vomit blood, have seizures, suffer from incontinence... among other things. And if he goes too long, slip into a coma and die."

"Why didn't you get him a doctor then?"

"What doctor would treat Hidan of Yugakure, and be okay with the crazy mother who brought him in hovering in the background? We had to learn to take care of each other and ourselves in Akatsuki." He muttered darkly, starting on his third bread roll. He chewed it thoughtfully for a moment then sighed. "Nothing is ever as it seems, Sakura."

"So I've been told." She replied softly.

They sat in a heavy, tacit silence for a while afterward, with their eyes fixed low on the table away from one another. When push came to shove, it was Kisame who broke the quiet long after their meals had been placed in front of them.

"…I'm sorry to put that burden of weight on your shoulders. So much information that you don't need on your mind." He murmured to her as he picked up a scallop with his fingers and popped it in his mouth. "It was rude of me to try and justify that man's death the way I did. You'll have to forgive me. I guess I've still got a soft spot for that kid."

She frowned at him, her brow furrowing into a vee. "That kid?"

"Yeah, Hidan." He blinked at her. "He isn't very much older than you, you know. Three or four years, maybe."

_Oh._ She hadn't known that. "How old are you, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Thirty-nine." He grunted.

"So, sixteen years older than I am, huh? Maybe I should start calling you Gramps."

The corner of his mouth curled up, revealing that straight line of white teeth that she found so fascinating. "Back to the name calling again? Really, aren't we more mature than that?"

"Hardly." Sakura jibed playfully.

His hand slid across the table and grabbed her wrist in the blink of an eye, and it took all of her restraint to keep from squealing in fear. Large green-eyes met his beady yellow ones in a silent plea to let go. The other corner of his mouth tilted up. "Call me Gramps one time… and I'll paddle your ass with Samehada."

Her heart nearly gave way with relief. He wasn't serious. "Is that a promise then, Gramps?"

_Bad idea, Sakura._ She barely knew the guy, and a promise like that could only serve to inspire her more sexual side to reappear. What an idiot, she mused inwardly, though on the outside she was all confidence and sexy smirks.

"It's a guarantee, one I plan to fulfill when we get back to the hotel." He growled self-assuredly with the release of her wrist.

"Would it be a bad idea to try and outrun you?" She tried to imagine herself getting away successfully, but she couldn't. He was larger, and while usually that was a disadvantage in speed chases, he had more chakra than ten men combined. Speed wasn't an issue for Kisame.

"I like a good chase, Pinky. It gets my blood flowing."

She scoffed and rolled her eyes. "You sound like you're an animal."

"I can be."

"Ha!" She couldn't help the sharp laugh that escaped her. "I'll keep that in mind."

"You'd do well to always remember that." He grinned.

How had their conversation gone from something so serious and profound to something so juvenile and light-hearted? Whatever the answer, Sakura didn't care. She loved this. She loved the way everything seemed to come so naturally with Kisame – conversation, laughter, even the rare sense of security.

How long had it been since she'd had such inherent chemistry with anyone else? Years. There were days when she didn't get along this well with Naruto. She loved the man dearly, but even he couldn't compare to the intrinsic relationship with the former shinobi from Mist. She wondered briefly if he was thinking the same thing.

Thin fingers wrapped around her glass of sake and lifted it to her pink lips. Kisame smirked as he mimicked her actions.

"How long do you think I have before Konan tells me the truth?" She asked abruptly, bringing an end to the comfortable episode of playfulness.

He frowned at her, the slight crease forming on his jowls drawing her attention. The lovely line of his teeth was hidden away. "A few days, most likely. Less than a week, definitely."

"I see…"

"She'll give you apt time to return to Konoha before you're officially declared an enemy of the village. You do understand why Konan must do this, don't you?"

"…Yes. As much as it pains me to admit it, I do understand. The people of Amegakure must come first to her, just as the people of Konohagakure must come first to Naruto. Personal beliefs aside, I have to commend her for doing what she sees fit. Certainly, Ame and Konoha would be powerful allies in war."

"For sure, but sometimes strength is not always enough. Stability, like a single man, can be the key to success."

She nodded in agreement. "I should apologize for reacting as I did at first. You have to understand that it upset me to hear such a thing. I thought coming here was going to be a walk-in the park… I truly did. I never even bothered to question the outcome of this. I was so certain that Ame would ally with us."

He tipped his head forward and poked at his meal. "You should know that in this line of work nothing is ever that easy, Sakura. Ever."

She knew nothing was that easy. She knew she was naïve for thinking such an easy feat was possible, He probably thought she was just some stupid, green, wet-behind-the-ears jounin with not near enough war experience.

Sakura didn't bother carrying on the conversation as she carried on her thoughts, and they continued their dinner in silence.

* * *

Not surprisingly, the weather had not changed much in the short hour spent eating and talking. It was still drizzling. Did the people here ever get a chance to see the stars?

Kisame led her quietly back to the hotel, though this time, they trudged through the wet streets and on the slick sidewalks. Her feet were soaked just minutes after leaving, and she silently cursed his name, calling him every dirty name she could think of. Why weren't they using the grated pathways above all the water? Why was he dragging her through all of this? He knew her things weren't up to par with his.

Had she done something to upset him? No, she reasoned.

"What gives?" She asked, finally giving in to frustration and wet, pre-blister feet.

"What do you mean?" He queried with slight surprise.

She scowled darkly at him and crossed her arms over her chest. The long sleeves dangled from beneath her arms, dripping with excess water. "Why are we walking through all of this water? My feet are cold and sore. Why are we not taking those?" She pointed a single aggravated finger upward toward the catwalks.

"Because I thought you might enjoy seeing the park before we go back to the Plaza."

"The park." She echoed flatly. "Do I look like I want to go to a park, Kisame? I'm twenty-three not twelve."

"If you really don't want to see it, I can take you back now, but I really think you will enjoy this… and, it's… just come with me."

"I don't want to, my feet hurt. I don't want to waste chakra healing them, and I don't want to see some stupid park. Not today."

He continued to gaze at her with his yellow eyes for a moment longer before averting them to the ground in defeat. "I'll take you back to the Plaza, then. Let's go."

The former Mist-nin guided her carefully up the closest set of steps to the catwalks, his hand pushing at her back urging her to not slip on the rain-slicked grate. His fingers lingered a moment longer than they should have and a tense and dreadfully pregnant silence followed. As well as they got on; they still went through intense periods of this awkwardness, though for varying reasons. It reminded Sakura of her former years, ones when Sasuke was still a part of their lives and when Sai first joined Team Seven. She remembered the uncomfortable hours spent with each of them – and it nearly brought a smile to her lips.

Perhaps such unapproachable phases of quiet were just her way of making new friends. Such seemed to work for her in every other situation she could think of… but she wasn't really being friendly by being so rude. He was being wonderful company, really. He was honest with her, and had attempted at lightening the mood. The medic just couldn't bring herself to do anything more than get back to her room and crawl into bed.

Really, how was she supposed to feel after all of that? Her chest constricted with conflicting feelings. She should feel relieved, relieved that her job was technically over and that the Hoshigaki Kisame had been honest with her (as far as she knew). There was also that sense of panic nestled right next to her heart, a feeling of dread burrowing deeper and deeper within her. It was something she knew not to ignore, but how could she be fearful when they had given her no reason to act as such? Konan had provided her with exquisite shelter and a friendly companion.

Still, there was no shaking that panic buried in her bosom. Her body sensed she needed to be on guard, and on guard, she would be. Nevertheless, she refused to give into the fear completely.

Thunder cracked overhead and lighting lit the sky a brilliant white-purple and a heavier rain followed immediately after. Sakura neglected to notice the shark-man bending at his knees to scoop her up off her feet as she watched the next few flashes of light jump from cloud to cloud with interest. She squeaked in surprise when she was thrown over his shoulder, ass in the air, and hauled up to his full height.

"Hey, what the hell are you doing?" She protested with a few heavy pounds of her fist against his back, feeling confused and slightly concerned for her safety.

He chuckled warmly. "You were complaining about your feet, I thought I'd make the rest of the walk a bit easier on you. It was my idea to drag you across the city in the rain, and I should have known that your footwear wasn't suitable for this sort of environment. I mean look at these cheap things." Kisame teased mirthfully, grabbing her foot with a single large hand. "Cheap, cheap, cheap. You should definitely see about getting a new pair of boots before you leave."

"They aren't cheap." And that was the truth. She had spent three missions worth of pay on them. She crossed her arms in defeat against his back. Despite the boots, her feet were sore; there was no way she was going to offer up being carried. "Not everyone can afford nice things like you and everyone else in Ame."

"Mhm. Sure, sure."

She sighed heavily as he picked up speed, leaping up to the roof of the closest building. He continued on, feet hitting heavily against rooftops and walls. She tried to occupy herself by counting the sentries on the catwalks beneath them, but she could not help letting herself admire Kisame's posterior in the casual jeans he wore. It was far more enticing than counting faceless people passing by below.

He landed on the sidewalk outside the Plaza with the rain, his boots making a soft squelch as his weight evened out. "Are you staring at my ass?"

"Yes." Sakura answered bluntly. "What else am I suppose to do from this angle?" She added for good measure.

He righted her on her feet a moment later and smirked down at her, the white line of those sharp shark teeth drawing her attention away from the pale blue-grey of his lips though she was certain she detected the slightest purple tinge to his cheeks. "I don't know, maybe close your eyes and enjoy the ride?"

"You'd like that wouldn't you?" She rolled her eyes at him effortlessly as she pulled open the outer glass door by its silver handle and walked into the immaculately clean lobby. She stopped to wait for him, attempting to fish out her room key before sighing with the realization that he still had it from when they had first arrived. She glanced towards her feet and gazed at her reflection in the polished marble. Her hair dripped excess moisture onto the floor all around her.

"I just mopped this floor! You ignorant shinobi come in and wreck everything. What good are you? Useless profession, useless profession…" An old stout, angry woman with two chins and sharply angled eyes yelled from behind the concierge desk. Sakura shifted uncomfortably and glanced at the Mist-nin for further direction, unsure whether to apologize as the older woman cursed at her and moved to fetch the mop.

Kisame laughed quietly to himself as he slipped her key into her hand and guided her towards the elevator with his hand at the small of her back. "Don't mind her. She's just a miserable, ugly hag."

"That's a rude thing to say. She was angry because we got water all over the floor, and I'm sure she was quite beautiful when she was younger."

"When she was younger." He echoed. "Do you mean when we still had emperors?"

"That's even ruder." She reasoned. "I'm sure you'd be upset too if you had six-foot tall sharks marching around, getting a perfectly dry lobby all wet late at night."

He gave her a pointed yellow look and stabbed at the glowing elevator button with his thumb. His toes tapped lightly against the floor in waiting. "Six-foot four, thank you." His blue chin jutted upward and outward in mock arrogance.

"Yes, you've made that clear twice now." She smiled at him bemusedly, the corners of her mouth curling heavenward. The young medic could not help but to gaze nearly unabashedly at his face. The lobby lights behind them were quite complimentary to his odd skin tone, making him look much pinker and human than normal, and it cast his face in such shadows that that strong jaw was painted more enticingly than it should have been against his neck. Her damp tongue wetted cherry lips absently.

Silver doors glided open quietly and he looked over at her. She flushed for getting caught staring.

The short ride to their floor on the lift was a quiet one. Kisame occupied himself deliberately by playing with the zipper of his jacket, Sakura, on the other hand, glared at her stiff reflection in the polished metal door. Tacit silence was not how she had anticipated ending the night.

The mood seemed to pick up however when the heavy doors opened once again to let them off.

"Can you make it to your room on your own, Pinky? Or do I need to carry you there, too?" The shark-nin purred teasingly, giving the hood on the jacket she borrowed a good, firm tug.

His deep voice registered in the more primal parts of Sakura's mind. "I think I can make it just fine on my own, Fishcakes. Swim on back to your bed, why don't you?"

"Only after I _doggie-_paddl_e_ into _your_ bed, Sakura."

Ooh. This round went to Kisame. She could not think of anything worthy of countering his snide innuendo. "Right. Goodnight, Kisame. See you in the AM."

"Goodnight. Sleep well." He swiped his keycard and disappeared into his suite behind his door.

Sakura walked down the long hall to her own, and slipped inside with ease. She discarded his coat and her clothes by the door and sauntered, in all her nakedness, to her bedroom. She crawled into bed and tugged the cool sheets up to cover her and lay silently; listening to the rain beat wind-whipped rhythms against her windows. The room was cast in elongated, mountainous shadows.

How could so much have happened in one day?

She love-hated spending time with Kisame; she loved it because he was a new person and someone she actually enjoyed getting to know and being around, but she hated it because he was a former enemy and ultimately could and very well still be. It was unfortunate that the time that had brought them together was as it was. War was brewing and that was no good to either party in the matter.

However, there had been good done. She had presented Konoha's case, and that was as much as anyone could ask of her. Her mission had been completed. Whether or not Ame accepted the offer was on a completely different playing field. That was what she had to remember above all things.

She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths to clear her head. She needed to sleep. What she didn't need was that damn man on her mind and the possibility of Ame and Konoha going to war. Konan and Naruto got on so well and had this certain undying respect for each other that she could not understand.

Was Kisame having a hard time sleeping, too? She hoped not. She hated when she couldn't fall asleep, and she certainly didn't wish such a thing on him. Maybe he was dreaming about her. Her mother had always told her that when you couldn't fall asleep at night it was because you were awake in someone else's dream.

Eventually, despite her surging thoughts, sleep came.

* * *

Sakura wished in the worst ways for sunlight. Waking up to the sound of rain against her window was not unpleasant, but certainly, the dimness was disturbing her internal alarm clock. She stirred sleepily, sitting up with a squeaking yawn, and stretched out on the bed; Her back popped pleasantly.

Blinking languidly, the medic climbed out of bed and padded into the bathroom, groaning at the chill of the floor against her bare feet. Sakura paused by the window, rubbing her hands against her arms for the warmth of friction as she looked out over the city. How beautiful the dark buildings must be in the light of day.

Turning away from the window, she went over and cranked the knobs of the bathtub, letting the basin fill with hot water as she went in search of bubble-bath soap and something to drink.

Sakura strode out into the kitchen, smiling happily at the bottle of sparkling cranberry juice in the door of the fridge. She poured herself a glass, and sipped at it a moment before her eyes fixed on a note taped to the cabinet above the sink.

_Sakura,_

_I've gone to speak with Konan, at her request. Unfortunately, I don't know how long this talk is going to take. I should be back soon. Maybe we could get breakfast._

_Kisame_

Sakura smiled warmly at his consideration as she made her way back into the bathroom. She turned off the water and climbed into the tub, groaning audibly at the immediate release of tension from her muscles. She needed to take more missions like this.

She rested her arms on the rim of the tub, one hand occupied by the glass. Despite just having woke up, the medic was certain she could fall asleep like this. Poking her foot up out of the water, she watched sleepily as the suds slid down to her ankle and back into the water.

How long had it been since she had had an actual bubble-bath? She must have been thirteen or fourteen? Something like that. It was nice to have such an effortless job – it was probably going to be her last easy money mission for a very long time.

War was inevitable. It was brewing, building and couldn't be avoided.

Surely, Naruto would be upset that Ame hadn't accepted their offer of allegiance. But the more Sakura thought about it, the more what Kisame said made sense, or so she kept telling herself. At least they had Suna. There was no way Wind or Fire would oppose one another.

She watched the water against the window with a pensive stare and sipped at her drink. How long until Kisame came back?

It wasn't long after getting out of the tub and dressing that she received her answer.

Sakura waved at him from the couch as he came through the door, dripping wet, but her greeting lost its vitality as he took off his jacket, scowling. He padded down into the living room and collapsed on the couch next to her.

"What's wrong?" She frowned; she didn't like this. She liked the exciting, almost-bubbly Kisame, not this man who had brought the storm in with him.

His jaw tightened considerably before he responded. "Iwagakure declared war on Konoha early this morning after an altercation in Grass."

Somewhere in her chest, dread clenched her heart in its icy grip. "They…" She inhaled sharply, fighting back tears. It wasn't supposed to go this far; war was supposed to be avoided. Awkwardly, Kisame put an arm around her in an attempt to comfort her. She leaned into his embrace and sighed. "…I'm scared."

"That's understandable." His voice rumbled quietly as he stroked her hair tenderly. "It's okay to be scared." He paused. "Let's go to the park."

She blinked up at him. "Okay."

It was a better idea than sitting around waiting for Konan to tell her that she wasn't going to accept the Leaf's offer.

* * *

.


End file.
